What is a land trust?

Land trusts are non-profit organizations that protect natural areas of significant ecological, scenic, recreational, agricultural, cultural, or historic value. They work locally to protect farms, forests, animal and plant habitats, lakes and streams, parks, and scenic vistas that are treasured by the communities they serve.

How do they work?

A land trust may acquire a property by buying it or as a donation from the owner. It may then hold the property or hand it off to a government or another conservation group that will protect the land - as a watershed or a park, for example. Or the land trust may resell the tract as a conservation property, with an agreement that limits what the next owner can do with it.

The land trust may acquire just the development rights to the land, by purchase or donation. That means the landowner can continue to live on or even farm the property under an agreement that limits changes that can be made to the land. These agreements, called easements, are completely voluntary, negotiated by the landowner and the land trust.

The land trust or another agency will act as a steward of property under a conservation easement, monitoring it to make sure it’s protected according to the agreement forever.

Who do they help?

Everyone!

Land trusts are supported by people from all walks of life who are committed to permanently saving North Carolina’s cherished natural assets. They know that we need unspoiled open spaces in order to have clean air and water, parks and recreation areas, working farms and forests, and diverse habitats for wildlife.

Land trust supporters give their money, their time, their energy and their devotion to save the places we love.